Don Meehan, head of the hockey agency Newport Sports Management, tells Hockey Inside/Out that talks between restricted free-agent client P.K. Subban and the Canadiens for a new contract should begin next week.

And while there’s been plenty of heat regarding what some believe is an imminent contract announcement for Carey Price, the goalie texts HIO to say his new deal “hopefully will be done in a couple weeks.” So exhale on that one, and wait for it.

Meehan, who signed RFA client Ryan White to a one-year deal with the Habs this week, says he’s “actively negotiating” with the Canadiens for contracts for RFA defencemen Rafael Diaz and Alexei Emelin.

Word is expected imminently on the plans of Canadiens UFA Travis Moen, another Meehan client.

If its going to be Markov and plex back the other way to Chicago, then it’s going to have to be our very best prospects (not picked this year, as per tom). So whomever you feel are the best 2 prospects of tinordi, beaulieu, Gallagher, Ellis, kristo. Because Kane/superintendent hjalmarsson For plex/Markov is a total steal for us.

I dont think Pleks and Markov is a steal for us.
Hjalmarsson is a 4th-5th D for Chicago.
Kane is a 30 goal 40 assist player with no size. Basically 10-15 points better than Pleks.
Markov is an excellent D. In fact ignoring age, Markov is as good a D as Kane is a Forward, IF NOT BETTER. And Hjalmarsson is not asnywhere near as good a D as Pleks is a Forward. He may become a 2-4 Defenseman but we got PK and Gorges with Beaulieu and Tinordi coming up.
So in that respect. Markov, Pleks, Beaulieu and Kristo/Gallagher is not a very good trade for us.

I agree on the Markov/Pleks. A forward and defence for a forward and defence and the money is the same. The sweeteners I hope are NOT Tinordi or Gallagher. Those two I have hopes for. Beaulieu and Holland maybe? If Tinordi or Gallagher are not involved I’m thrilled.

Kaberle and Pleks going to Chicago.
Kane and Hjalmarsson coming to Montreal.
Prospects are Kristo and Tinordi.
This is my guess by the way, jumping on the band wagon.
HEY TOM NICKLE, we will now see if we continue to call you Tom Nickle OR Eklund Lite….
I’m Kidding, I know your not stirring the pot for fun.
But im pretty excited to see something happen.

Sounds like a great contact you have there Tom.Like you say no one knows for sure and I’m sure Bergevin couldn’t give a definite answer yet.Whatever…where there is smoke there’s fire.If Gionta goes the other way at least we won’t be losing in the “size” department.

We probably touched base with Robinson and either were outbid by other suitors or whatever. JJ Daigneault was a puck moving level headed defencemen who had long nhl career and played in many systems (Mtl/Philly/St. Louis/Pittsburg/Anaheim/Phoenix/Wild) and won two cups… here and in Philly. Wasnt he also a captain in Philly?

And he was no ‘media darling’ here in Mtl so he doesnt owe anyone anything. I love it.

Kane and Hjalmarsson…..
Kane is what this team needs. Except the size. But if its Gionta or Gomez going that way then its brilliant. BUT I DOUBT IT.
Why would Chicago trade 6.3 million Kane for 7.3 million Gomez…
Even Gionta going there for 5 million isnt anywhere near worth Kane.
Kaberle makes no sense either. Trading 4.2 million Kabs for 3.5 million Hjalmarsson.
Maybe they have extreme faith in our prospects we are giving, but still…
If its two EXCELLENT roster players, there are only so many that are worth something to Chicago for Kane.
But if Kane isnt working out for them, and they want him out…
You never know.

I could say the names of the Habs players who could be going back the other way but the only reason I shared what I was told was because hearing that Kane and Hjalmarsson possibly coming to the Habs is exciting.

Mentioning the players going back the other way will only start a crap storm.

well Tom, you have just satisfied my anxiety and put to rest my worries. thank you good sir.

now I’m gonna guess its Plecks, Gio for the vets (alternate would be Cole) and for the prospects I’d guess Beaulieu, and.. and… hmmm Gallagher .. possibly Kristo … i dunno i’ll think more on it but those are my first guesses

“When we remember we are all mad, the mysteries disappear and life stands explained.”

Markov instantly makes their PP better, Plekanec makes their PK better, two glaring deficiencies for the Blackhawks last season.

With Toews, Sharp, Hossa, Keith, Seabrook and Bolland, the base is there to contend this season. Add Markov and Plekanec to that mix and they get much stronger.

Diaz/Weber give some insurance, although Beaulieu or Tinordi might make more sense if the Habs are paying the premium (depends on how badly Chicago wants to dump Kane after his act has worn thin), and Kristo is a good wing prospect that could be there as early as next season to play on the 3rd line.

Tom Nickle really stirred up speculation here!
So, who would we part with if the salaries are comparable to what would come to us? Could be Markov, Pleks, Gionta, Cole, maybe Kaberle (though he is not excellent). And what about the prospects we would give up?

Remember all, the same guys who drafted Price, anointed him as the heir apparent to Roy/Dryden et al, called him a thoroughbred, are the same 2 who recently got fired and for making other boneheaded moves like Ribeiro, Gomez, Grabovski, Bourque, Kaberle, just to name a few.

His value is high because he’s a goalie in his mid-twenties approaching 300 games played with two all-star appearances, a calder cup mvp and CHL goaltender of the year. He also happens to have a save percentage around .917 for his career on mediocre teams.

He can also play the puck better than any goaltender in the game now that Brodeur’s skills have diminished. So if the NHL ever does away with that stupid trapezoid(which could happen as soon as this coming season) he becomes even more valuable.

He also despite the word of his critics has great mental toughness as evidenced by his reaction to losing the #1 job three years ago.

I agree that they were premature in annointing Price as the saviour.
In the spring of 2008 the Habs were too hasty in moving Huet and making Price the starter for the playoffs.
I think not having a veteran starter cost the team an opportunity to compete for the Cup that year. All of the other pieces seemed to be in place.

______________________________________________________
“It’s just an opinion – I could be wrong”

Right, easy after getting a JD or an LLM, and having the right skill set to market your clients and negotiate multiple contracts, oh and the time commitment. It’s a great job if you enjoy that, but it’s not “easy.”

I’m somewhat intrigued by this. I would like to know if there could be a possibility for Brodeur signing in Montreal as a “Backup Goalie” per say to Carey Price? Its obvious many will say NO (i’m also against it) but what if it does happen…..

I’d like to state for the record that I expect Brendan Gallagher to be traded before he ever plays for the Canadiens and that I expect Markov, or Gorges, or both will be traded before the seasons begins. (especially Gorges).

that’s 10 millions in cap hit coming in, if true. sure Habs got space, even with signing PK+Price for about 11 millions, but still would probably have to send a couple millions back at least.
It would interesting, as it would be a big splash deal and would give us an opportunity to evaluate Bergevin’s trading skills.

Montreal needs to get rid of a centre either this summer or next to make room for Galchenyuk. Kane, having played there this past season, could play centre for a year if Galchenyuk weren’t ready and then move back to his natural wing position.

Chicago has a decent defence corps, but there is not offence after Keith/Seabrook. At 15.2%, Chicago had one of the worst power plays in the NHL. Markov would be a pretty good calculated risk to help ignite it, and Chicago thinks they have the personnel to contend this season.

You did say excellent, so that rules out a bunch of players… and prospect too, so it might mean the Habs are going for one helluva quick rebuild!
Now I’ll be wondering all week-end long if it’s gonna happen or not, and who would be moved!

I know this is gonna sound ridiculous cause you gotta give to get but, if this is true, i would hope Price, Subban, Patches, and Galchenyuk would not be considered as they are our 4 corner stones from which we will rebuild this house upon.. Just leave them alone!

“When we remember we are all mad, the mysteries disappear and life stands explained.”

This now going to push up the hits on this thread Tom, haha. Let the guessing begin. I could see Plek and Gorges as the established players going back. I wont even try guessing what possible new prospects I would like or not like to see go. Still I like both Chi players you mention. I could live with Plek and Gorges going if the 2 coming are those you speculate on.

They are all stop gaps, re-treads when the team needs a rebuild. But I am confident that Bergevin will upgrade the roster. I just do not know how or where and it will depend on the dollars he commits to the RFA’s and how he handles Gomez.

Do not understand what has happened to Wolski. Good buddy of mine watched him play for Brampton and often sat with his family and talked with them. Seems like a good bright kid whose parents were immigrants to Canada, hard working family.

Great hands and skill set, yet has been labelled and moved around alot since. I would be very interested in him, but do not understand what has happened, or if he isn’t the person my buddy thought he was.

Isn’t the salary cap intended to protect owners from themselves? It still allows for idiotic contracts, just not as many, and the floor punishes those who must work with lesser resources, or who can still ice a competitive team at less than the minimum but are required to ante up more dough. It would be great if a team were to take Gomez off our hands but hardly fair to his new employer who is being forced to make a decision for non-hockey reasons.

I’m guessing!! 7 years 40 million. total No Trade. And I love your suggestions for the CBA. I would add one other. The salary stays on the cap regardless of where in the organization you hide the player (a la Redden)

That’s quite funny, thankfully the the overarching consensus in the hockey world is that Price is a franchise player, which he is. Therefore locking him up long term would not be handcuffing the team nor would they be overpaying for that type of player.
The the Habs kept Halak they would need another good goalie to play in tandem with him. Halak has not played a full season as a starter, he has usually shared the duties, he’s unproven as a heavy load #1 goalie and has not won anything yet.

Almost over it, spent alot of today on the German websites. You are right about him being crazy, but I have a ton of empathy for the guy. I read a few stories on his life background, and the kid has been ridiculed by the locals for years because of his ethnicity. Find it disgusting that it happens, but when he single handedly wins a Euro Semi Final now they are all happy. I know it happens in alot of places, but really really hate to see it.

I think I can understand why he is so crazy.

P.S. I won’t bring up the handball on the goalline early in the game which would have put Germany up 1-0.

Because I don’t have hours and hours to pour over all the comments (as much entertainment as they provide most times), forgive me is this has been mentioned:

What are the thoughts if Martin Brodeur wanted to come play out his career in Montreal mentoring Carey? I’m not sure what made me think this, but playing in Jersey looks as boring as it could possibly get. He’s from Montreal, loves playing in Montreal, was a fan when growing up, etc. I don’t know, it’s almost like he would just like to play for the Habs for one season – just to say he did it.

For the record, it would HAVE to be a backup role. I’m not interested in a distraction for Carey’s development. If they could get along and know their roles, this situation could be fun.

For the record, it would HAVE to be a backup role. I’m not interested in a distraction for Carey’s development. If they could get along and know their roles, this situation could be fun.

That is precisely why I don’t think it would be a good idea. At the first sign of trouble for Price, you just know that people would start whispering that perhaps they should go with Brodeur.

I think many of us are resigned to the idea that Montreal is still a year or two away from being a serious contender. But what happens if they get off to a hot start and then there is another December slide. Do we start to hear of goalie controversies?

I just don’t see Brodeur as a back-up for Price. I can see him in a platoon somewhere (he isn’t a guy that can play 70 games anymore, 40-50 being much more a realistic ceiling), but I don’t see Price in a platoon. He’s already a 70 game per season guy (even if I would like to see that trimmed down to 60), and a cut back to 50 or so would be a hard pill to swallow.

Trust me, it’s definitely been discussed here at length today.
I personally don’t like it because:
1. Marty can probably get a 1 year deal somewhere at 5 to 5.5 million. We would have between 11 and 12 mil tied up in 2 goalies.
2. A string of good games by Martin F and we have another goalie controversy in Montreal. I had enough of that in the spring of 2010 to last me a lifetime, it actually still continues on here.

Yeah, perhaps it’s not a great idea given all that. I guess I thought of it because of the unpredictability of a human’s wants, which often override practicality (potentially Brodeur’s, not mine).
Here’s another “for the record”: I’ve never been a fan of Brodeur, aside from his earlier heroics for Team Canada.
As for the comments referring to my 1986 to present watching of this great game and not thinking things through as per Habsync, I was referring to future, not past, for Brodeur. I think we’ve all see weirder things happen in this wacky sports world.
And, no disrespect intended.

GoalieT – Sorry I was harsh, but while Broduer is more of a 50-60 game starter than a 70-75 game starter, he is still above average in GAA and he is not going to take a massive pay cut to be a back-up for a non contending team.

I am only mentioning this because it was an AP news story in 2009, but Brodeur is paying $500k annually to his ex-wife through 2020 in addition to $132k in annual child support. This is in addition to a major cash settlement she received at the time of their divorce. He may choose to maximize his earnings to meet those obligations.

A great indication of the poor crop of unrestricted free agents and our reduced expectations in that regard is the lack of anticipation here at HIO. Before the draft, every second post would be about how we couldn’t wait for the draft, how we were making a party of it. No one so far has mentioned how much they’re looking forward to Sunday and how the days are just dragging.

As far as the date itself, and how there’s a frenzy on July 1, I like Eliotte Friedman’s suggestion (linked below) that there should be a three or four day period during which negotiations can start between parties, but the deal can only be signed at a set date. This would reduce fear and paranoia that tampering is happening, or the temptation to engage in these practices.

I am not sure tampering can ever really be stopped completely. Many of the players know the coaches on a personal level and will talk. The Gist of Friedman’s point is well taken, but end of day it is hard to fully police the tampering charges, especially when the player and team in question fully plan to consumate a deal.

I’m not saying, and neither is Mr. Friedman, that this would stop tampering completely, but it would greatly reduce the incentive to cheat.

His main point is that it would allow for less frenzied negotiations and allow for more planning and fewer mistakes, without really hampering the earning power of players. It would allow teams and players to really find the best fit. Remember Alex Kovalev missing out on an opportunity to re-sign with the Canadiens when he took too long to agree to the deal? These situations wouldn’t happen in a new system as described in the link.

The contract should expire the 24th of June for UFAs. That would give a week for agents to negotiate with 30 teams, not just a couple. The player should have to announce he is going UFA 2 weeks before so all the lying about tampering stops.

I think the contracts should expire on July 1, then have free agency a week later. You need to give the teams that go the distance a few days to catch their breath, then have a few days of exclusive negotiation with their own free agents. I think June 24 would have been cutting it close for the Kings and Devils, who have to prep for the draft and then worry about their UFA’s.

Postal service in Whistler is historically bad. A letter from Montreal can get to Vancouver in one or two days, then take another five days to get to Whistler, if it doesn’t get lost or mangled. I do all my banking and bills online now, don’t risk the mail roulette like I used to.

Forget about Price and Subban they are both RFA, Bergevin has lots of time to get those deals done. I am worried about Travis Moen. He is going to look great in a Leafs or Red Wings uniform if Bergevin does’nt get his act together soon.
Great PK guy, great in his own end, big and tough, sticks up for teammates, good skater, bangs in the odd goal, has won a Stanley Cup, etc. etc. I am sure the Leafs and Red Wings won’t nickle and dime this guy on July 1st. I would hate to see him go, especially for nothing. The worst case should be to sign him and if Bergevin et al do not love the deal they can trade him at the deadline and get a 2nd round pick or better. Just giving him away is not an option…

Incredibly, he said it was an accident. And that sure looked like he was apologizing right after the incident. As for the sportsmanship showed by his players leaving the ice, it was apparent who they looked to for their role model.

It brought back memories for me of a handshake line in Pee Wee where our star player had been hacked and slashed and tripped and roughed up the whole game. We lost by one goal. Daniel was angry and frustrated to the point of tears since in the last couple of minutes he was on a near-breakaway but got slashed three or four times by their dirty defenceman, and then hauled down. No penalty shot or even penalty call by the refs, they were NHL-quality in training, had put away the whistles and let the boys play. Anyway, in the handshake line Daniel’s frustration boiled over and he jumped the guy who’d slashed him and kept him from scoring, ripped off his cage and started punching him. Our coaches, to their credit, jumped in and broke them up, as both teams stood around stunned.

This video is absolutely appalling. The Don Cherry retribution tough-guy mentality is warping our sense of fair play and what hockey should be about. This coach may have issues he’s dealing with and may not be an ogre, but he’s clearly incapable of dealing with the stress of the job, and shouldn’t be allowed to perform this role anymore.

Unless the Habs want to be stuck with a Luongo type problem, I recommend that they keep Price’s cntract to no more than 4 years and max $5MM. I see nothing in his stats or in his playoff performance that warrants long term and big $$$. He has been average in most seasons, below average in the playoffs, and seems to shrink in big situtations (playoffs, shootouts, etc).

I don’t undertand why he is being rewarded on “potential” rather than RESULTS.

Big difference between a 6 year deal to a 25 year old and a 12 year deal to a 31 year old.

I’m not crazy about 10 year deals, but they can give a team cost certainty over the long haul and as the cap continues to grow allow teams to field top-notch rosters with players paid significantly below their “market” value.

But a 6 or even 7 year deal just secures Price through the prime of his career. Can’t see any significant argument against that.

When it comes to Arbitration, which was my point half way down the post… based on numbers and save percentage, that is what Pavelec will be seen as, a goalie with some of the worst numbers of any starter.

Thats what the arbitrator will look at numbers.

He’ll see a goalie nearly 2 years older with 66 career starts, getting 4 million.

He’ll see Pavelec with his 906 sv %, which is below the NHL average, getting 3.9.

Here’s a better alternative — trade Price and his inflated salary and status. Why throw good money after bad? I would rather trade him, get a nice return for him, and sign a golie with equivalent stats (less hype) at half the amount.

It’s professional sports. They have agents. Price is going to be locked up for 6 years and probably 6m a year. As long as people pay the price in the stands, buy the sweaters, the players are going to be paid outrages money. We can only dream. 104 mil for Crosby. Hard to believe.

He’s being rewarded on market price. There’s a reason why we say “so-and-so will HIT THE MARKET as a UFA”. While it matters how much Bergevin values Price, the reality is he’ll be UFA in 2 years, then the market decides his worth. So if you want a 4 yr contract worth $5M, which is clearly undervalued based on market prices for goalies with similar numbers and upside, then we only eat 2 years of Price’s UFA years. Assuming he plays to his potential, he could walk as a UFA in his prime and command BIG BIG MONEY from anyone willing to pay him (see Holmgren, Paul or Sather, Glen).
I don’t like 10 year contracts either, but take a look at those numbers again, then look at his age, then most importantly, take a look at the Habs’ goalie prospects and the price of a goalie of Price’s level on the UFA market. It’s pretty clear we should lock him up relatively long term, and that will be expensive.

The market value of a player is broader than what he’s done for you lately and of course has to reflect any likely improvement in his play during the term of his contract. If that weren’t true, no one would ever give up roster players for draft picks or prospects.

It also reflects the fact that his stats are among the best ever for a goalie on a 15th place club. This indicates his stats would be even better, if he didn’t have a shitty group in front of him last year.

Lol, my opinion hon. I was a big fan of his when he was drafted, but since his first season, I have not seen “it” in Price. There are many low draft picks that turn into gems, others that never live up to the hype. Price thus far, definitely falls into the latter category.

Well the thing is that he’s never lived up to being a top 5 pick yet.He’s been average-good but hasn’t taken it up a notch. He may never take it up a notch or could be lights out from here on in. Personally,I see him as being an average-good goalie for the rest of it.He hasn’t shown that extra gear yet.

Because you need to take into account both sides not just the one… as I’ve stated before if you just pay for what a player has accomplished in the past then Gomez is still worth 7 + million as he has won 2 Stanley cups and multiple 70 and 80 point seasons..

yes you look at the past and what they have accomplished but then you give them a big contract because you believe they will do big things for you in the future.

Price hasn’t won any big trophies in the nhl, YET… but then again neither have some other highly paid goal tenders. but he has been the back bone of the team and clearly a major pillar for the future. His number were awesome the year before and suffered last season due to the team in front of him failing him a lot… but it’s a team sport and you need your team to succeed for you to succeed.

Anyway, whether you like it or not we are going to pay price what it takes to keep him a Canadien.. Better come to terms with it bud.

“When we remember we are all mad, the mysteries disappear and life stands explained.”

Price will get a handsome contract, particularly if it is a 5- or 6-year deal.

If he signed a 2-year deal, then I could understand if the Canadiens tried to lowball him…he has two more years of being a restricted free agent before he hits the open market.

If you sign him to a longer-term deal, then you have to pay him enough to forego those UFA years. What would Carey Price earn as an unrestricted free agent, even if he came out this summer as a 25 year old with no significant playoff success?

I think it is a pretty safe bet he’d be looking at comparable money to the contracts signed by Ilya Bryzgalov (9 years, $5.7 M cap hit) or Roberto Luongo (12 years, $5.33 M cap hit) or Pekka Rinne (7 years, $7 M cap hit).

Looking at other similar goalies, Cam Ward signed for 6 years with a cap hit of $6.3 M while Niklas Backstrom signed for 4 years with a cap hit of $6.0 M, with the contracts signed in 2010 and 2009, respectively. The cap has increased significantly since then, so a 6 year deal at a cap hit of $6.5 M is pretty reasonable for Price based on what other goalies are making.

I definitely understand the argument that paying a goalie big money might not be the best way to build a team in today’s NHL, but that is the only complaint that I find agreeable when it comes to a possible Price signing. If we’re basing it solely on what other guys are making, Price will get paid a significant amount of cash to sign for a significant term.

Yes, but Ward won a Stanley Cup with a team that dominated during the regular season, finishing 3rd overall, despite playing Martin Gerber and the then-rookie Ward in net.

Price has not shown anything close to that type of performance because he, quite frankly, hasn’t had a team in front of him remotely as good as the 2005-06 Carolina Hurricanes were. The only time he had something close was the 2007-08 Montreal Canadiens, and Price didn’t have his A-game that year.

But Cam Ward hasn’t brought his A-game every year either. His two seasons following his Stanley Cup were decided average, if not below average, and he has only managed to make it to the playoffs twice in his career. Is that his fault, or his team’s fault?

Similarly, it is hard to fault Price for the inadequacy of his team. The Montreal Canadiens have struggled to score in recent years and have had to expend a tremendous amount of energy to absorb offensive pressure and counter-attack against more highly ranked teams. That rarely works out for a team in the end.

NEWS FLASH
2012 HIO Fan Summit Game Tickets. As many as you want! But act now!

Oct. 27th against Koivu and his Ducks.
Total Summit Weekend Itinerary to follow.

I have been given as many tickets as we need for a very short time limit. But I must pay for them ASAP.

So this is the procedure to follow! Two prices, the first 56 seats are together.
And the rest will be scattered in groups of 1 to 5. Both prices.

IMPORTANT!
Do not order or send your information to me, other than by sending me a money order with a self addressed envelope and stamp on it, to send your tickets in. FIRST COME FIRST SERVE.
(international money order works best from U.S., Currier also works best)

Two levels of seats, two prices. $90 and $110. (U.S. & Canadian.)

This includes game ticket, Hall of Fame Tour ticket and one ticket for the draw at the Montreal Canadiens Children’s charity Foundation Raffle.

Now, all orders must come to me in the form of a money order (only, not a check) with a self addressed envelope and stamp so I can mail your tickets back to you. We only have a short window for this deal so get your money orders to me ASAP. Cut off date for this deal, is coming up soon.!

Everyone is welcome, but we ask that you attend the Pre Game dinner and participate bringing a gift to the Montreal Canadiens Children’s Foundation Charity Raffle.

Good game choice, Ian. I can’t make it (yet again), but I’m sure that you will all have a blast.

But most importantly, I want to thank you for once again for doing so much heavy lifting in organizing this event. The reason I frequent this website is that it has long had a nice sense of community, and you are obviously a major contributor to that.

Best wishes, and let’s hope that Montreal wins 5-4, with Koivu and Selanne combining for the four Anaheim goals in what is likely their last trip to Montreal.

Yeah Price sucks, bring in Brodeur so we can have about 11 millions tied to goalies on the cap, that’s bound to be helpful! Might as well trade for Halak and make him #1 in Hamilton, just in case of injury, you know??

The last 3 years the habs finished approx between 19th to 23rd in scoring…while too early to see the roster for next season does it not seem like that those 3 struggling to score teams had more scoring potential than the present roster has…looks to me many 2-1 , 3-2 games and o/t next year…

While we normally agree on most things, Ben, this is one statement I have always loathed:

“If you are a true Habs fan, you support the CH on the front, not the name on the back.”

I dislike it because I have a hard time stomaching the idea that I must like all Montreal Canadiens players because they wear the CH on the front. I freely admit that my pantheon of most disliked Habs is Gary Leeman, Mike Ribeiro, Jose Theodore and Darcy Tucker. I hated having those guys on the Montreal Canadiens because I couldn’t stand the personalities they projected.

On the flip side, there are many former players that I will continue to support as avidly as the players wearing the Montreal Canadiens jersey. Saku Koivu, Chris Higgins, Mark Streit, Jaroslav Halak, Francis Bouillon and Sheldon Souray will always remain dear in my heart because they gave their heart & soul to the Montreal Canadiens and never stopped working when they were here.

Like you, I am somewhat tired of the Price-bashing. Price is a great goalie who has matured into a pretty unflappable man that has thrived in a very difficult role.

But I would argue that the majority of the fans in the stands that own Canadiens jerseys own jerseys with their favourite player on the back. This doesn’t make them any less of a true fan of the Canadiens than the fans that wear jerseys without a name.

I personally couldn’t stand most of the players on the 2009-10 team that went to the conference finals. There was no sense of accomplishment there of having the core of the team develop in front of our eyes, of having suffered through the bad times with those guys and now getting to watch them enjoy the fruits of their labour. Instead, we watched a band of mercenary players that came for the highest contracts.

I know that this sentiment puts me very much in the minority, but I would rather watch the players we had come to know and love lose in the second round rather than watch a bunch of high-priced guns for hire lose in the third round.

I still cheered the team on as hard as ever before, but it didn’t stop me from sort of wishing that Saku Koivu was out there instead of Scott Gomez or Mike Komisarek being there instead of Hal Gill.

No, but when people state that true Habs fans support the CH on the chest and not the name on the back, there is certainly an implication that the individual’s importance is diminished.

If I am truly supporting the CH on the chest, that could be taken to mean that you support all the players equally. That I simply will never do.

I realize that Ben probably didn’t mean it the way I interpreted it, but it is a notion that comes up fairly frequently.

I DO support the individual players, and I do so proudly. I choose players that play the game the way I think it should be played. I generally put a huge premium on sportsmanship, which is part of the reason why players like Mats Naslund, Igor Larionov, Pavel Datsyuk and Nicklas Lidstrom have been some of my favourite players over the years.

I don’t really see why it is so wrong that people miss Jaroslav Halak…some truly thought he was the better goalie or just liked his personality.

I don’t see it any differently than the fans who whined for years about Patrick Roy’s departure or the John Leclair/Eric Desjardins trade (I was one of the fans whining about that one, for the record).

Like Halak, those guys were no longer Habs. Jocelyn Thibault was obviously no Patrick Roy, but he also didn’t demand to be traded in a very public hissy fit and could have been a perfectly adequate goalie if the team in front of him hadn’t been so abysmally bad. Mark Recchi did not score 50 goals for the Habs, but I can almost 100% guarantee that John Leclair wouldn’t have scored 50 goals either had he never been traded to what amounted to the most ideal possible situation for his style of play.

Or, to use a different example, how is it really all that different than how often we’ve heard that Tomas Plekanec is not as good as [insert elite offensive centre here]. We’re not going to get Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin or Eric Staal or Ryan Getzlaf, yet many of us (and again, I include myself in this) have wasted many pixels pining over how much we’d rather have a guy on a different team.

Like I said in my post above, I do draw the line at bashing the current player. We’ll simply never know if Halak could have done better than Price and, at least in my mind, it is largely irrelevant. Price did extremely well, and the team has made its choice, so I content myself with hoping that Halak and Price are battling it out for Vezina Trophy honours for different teams.

I always thought that Leeman was a dirty player, and I never forgave him for taking a spearing penalty very early on in his Montreal Canadiens career while wearing #26.

I think I saw Mats Naslund get one major penalty in his entire career, and it was for elbowing Ken Linseman in the head, something that probably earned him a thank you letter from 90% of the other players in the NHL (this was of course before they knew about the dangers of concussions).

I think what commandant ultimately means is to stop lauding Halak who is not with the Canadiens anymore to the detriment of Price who is still with the team and so far hasn’t merited the ire aimed his way by certain posters on this site.

There are a small minority of Price fans on this website that have for years thrived on denigrating Halak’s accomplishments, and there are a small minority of Halak fans on this website that have for years thrived on denigrating Price’s accomplishments.

Both groups are equally stupid, but fortunately they are both quite small. Most of us, I think, are happy to see both guys do well. It might have been different if Halak had been traded to Boston or Philadelphia, because most of us really can’t stand those two teams.

Yeah, I see what you mean. Though perhaps I’m biased, but the very fact that Halak had that incredible playoff run two years ago and that he was the one traded, it’s usually posters bashing on Price and then other posters responding in kind to Halak as a form of retaliation without really meaning it (e.g. when Halak has a bad game, people say they’re “glad” he’s gone though I’m sure they’d gladly have him back – just not in the sense that they’d want to see Price gone).

In the case of the posters who like to criticize Price, I get the feeling they’d rather see him gone or only on the team if, I dunno, he signs for 3M a year and not as the starter, which is rather unrealistic.

The 2009-10 team has to be remembered for Halak, the little engine who could. Because if you don’t believe the Halak carried them you have to believe something else. That something else would be the senior goalie’s agent back stabbing the young star and a group of pros screwing around until the playoffs when they pulled it together, saved a useless coach, and made a fat contract for the guy who was yanked every time the going got tough. Hardly a legend, and sports is about hero’s.

I am very weary of the blanket anti Bourque statements on the list – this guy has to have something to have put up similar numbers to Cams before the trade even though he was not drafted.

I saw like everyone else that his play was tentative at times but I have to wonder if he was not just snake bit after getting 2 suspensions in one month – I think maybe he made these mistakes and really regrets them – to the point that he was second guessing his own every move on the ice.

I hope that Bergevin’s new crew has the sense to work with this guy to solve whatever problems he has – because he would be a very welcome linemate with his size and 25 plus goals like his 2 seasons in Calgary

Bourque sure looked good against the Habs when Calgary played us, I’m thinking especially of the outdoor game a few years back.
He’s the kind of guy who excels on a line with at least one other big guy who goes hard for the net, so as to capitalize on rebounds. In Montreal’s case, I’d be interested to see him on a line with Cole, who goes harder and faster to the net than anyone. Plus, Cole may be a help in the attitude department. Thoughts?

Anyway, the most important revelation in this game occurred during the RDS pre-game show, when it was stated that Pierre-Alexandre Parenteau is good friends with David Desharnais, they met as a result of both being ex-Chicoutimi Saguenéens at a golf tournament and have hung around and kept in regular contact since then. During the profile, Mr. Parenteau explained that he ‘was’ a fan of the Canadiens growing up, “but not anymore” he quickly took care to specify, in the same tone you’d use when you tell your current squeeze that your ex or that cute cashier from work “is just a friend”.

So that’s settled, we sign this guy this summer. He’s an unrestricted free agent, the Islanders are squeezing every penny, and Uniondale is not the most attractive hockey destination around, so we can make him a good offer, and rely on the magnetism of the ‘chandail bleu-blanc-rouge’ to clinch the deal. We then stick the sixty-point winger on the David Desharnais line with Max, see if these guys can cook up another big cauldron of chemistry for us next season. Erik Cole gets shifted on to Tomas Plekanec’s line with René Bourque and he takes the big lug under his wing, uses his particular brand of orneriness and toughness mixed in with an infectious good humour to influence him and point him in the right direction. Lars Eller reunites with Travis Moen and is given the captain Brian Gionta to add a bit of consistency and hockey IQ to the line, and all of a sudden the depth situation isn’t so dire, we have three lines which don’t induce a gag reflex.

#31 bashing…the official start to summer. Get over it rodeo clowns…maybe you’d like to trade Reimer for #31 straight up? How did #31 choke in ot of game 7 in the Boston series? I’ll start the chant early CAREY!!! CAREY!!! CAREY!!!

Free agents (and their paid agents) can open negotiations with any team beginning July 1. What’s amazing is that deals are announced the very same day.
Considering that talks between a player and a team can’t commence until 12:01 a.m., it’s rather impressive that two sides can reach an agreement in so short of time. It truly must be a frenzy to lock up long-term deals so quickly, especially when we read that Price hopes to have a contract with the Canadiens “done in a couple weeks” and Meehan, his agent, says he’s “actively negotiating” for contracts for two of his other clients, Diaz and Emelin.
Perhaps the players, agents and team officials responsible for deals signed July 1 should be seconded to the committees putting together a new collective bargaining agreement.
I’d also recommend that all working sessions begin at one minute after midnight.
If contracts – and omnibus legislation – can result from talking through the wee hours of the morning, why not a new CBA? They’re wise folk, the night owls.

Wow, that makes it even more impressive what these guys are able to accomplish.
Okay, I withdraw the suggestion for post-midnight talks. But now it makes even more sense these fellows be made part of the collective bargaining process. They know how to git ‘r done.

I know you had good things to say about janikowski, Commandant, but when Feaster got on national TV and told everyone that “his scouts believe janikowsky will be THE PICK of the 2012 draft 10 years from now”, I just shook my head.

rule #1 of drafting Mr. Feaster: do NOT take unnecessary risks with your pick in the 1st round – that’s the pick that must make your NHL team better 1 day.

I know the league in which Janikowsky is playing.

It was wildly incorrect for Bob Mckenzie to describe the league as a “Quebec high school league” – (Bob, do your homework, please).

But still, the Mid West Prep School league is not nearly the calibre of play of even the QMJHL, and miles behind the OHL and WHL.

No one starring in that league could possibly be pegged as a “certainty”, its the opposite which is more true.

it is extremely risky to assume that janikowsky will develop into a front line NHL player.

it is simply foolish to believe today that janikowsky will outperform Yakupov of Gally.

Feaster appears to be feeding the Flames fans a lot B.S today, knowing full well he will not be around 10 years from now.

“But still, the Mid West Prep School league is not nearly the calibre of play of even the QMJHL, and miles behind the OHL and WHL.”

I wish there was some way that we could have teams from the three different Canadian major junior leagues play against each other somehow. It would be nice to see just how much better the OHL and WHL are compared to the LHJMQ.

I wish there was some way that we could have teams from the three different Canadian major junior leagues play against each other somehow. It would be nice to see just how much better the OHL and WHL are compared to the LHJMQ.

@Sean… the top 2-3 clubs in the QMJHL can compete with any OHL or WHL club, but the depth in the league is not present. If you take a middle of the pack club in all three leagues the WHL and OHL teams would destroy them. While all teams do it, there is way more trading at the QMJHL trade deadline where the best teams absolutely pillage the lower ranked teams and load up for the Mem Cup.

@ed_lopaz All my stuff on Jankowski is quotes (with links) to other sources. He’s an Honourable Mention and unranked in the list cause I’ve never seen him. The league he was in has no internet coverage whatsoever (as far as I can find).

Saw that earlier today when I posted about Brodeur-Gate. If Downie is worth 2.65mil per year that should put Moen at about 2.25ish depending on term. I realize they are different players but I see some comparables there.

You guys make a good point, but Downie also takes bad penalties and is suspension prone due to his sometimes wild behaviour. Moen is far better defensively and on the PK, brings toughness, but not the type that’s likely to leave his team short-handed, and still keeps the other team honest.

Offensively, Downie is definitely better, but Mo brings lots to the table outside of point production.

I’d love to have Moen back at 2mil, but wouldn’t be surprised if it was a bit higher. He’s already making 1.5 on his current contract and I doubt he doesn’t get a raise.

Seems like a few posters fear slightly overpaying a potential FRANCHISE player for a term slightly over the ideal length to such an extent that they would rather sign a proven winner… who MAYBE has a year or two left of competitive hockey… instead of a very young guy who has done well already with the Habs whose fanbase could eat up almost any player out there.

Heck, they probably figure Dennis Wideman at 5.25M is a better deal than Carey Price at 6M for equal terms.

Never blame the player for what he gets. Any posters here who were offered Gomer’s salary and would have turned it down please post below.Anyone posting here ever turn down a raise? Blame the guy who gave him the original contract (Sather) not even the agent whose job is to get his client the best deal.

Dude, Well get a grip and you could use some work on your vocabulary. I’m a fan for 50 years also and without a goalie you got nothin’.That’s why we have all these guys in management. Their job is to figure this out. Fans worrying about it, well, is kind of a joke. I can’t imagine me telling you how to run your business. Can you? LA..you can figure all you want with the cap but I’m afraid you are going to end up with Price. Sorry about your luck.

Signing him “10 years” is the reason why the cap will be 5.5mn. Not sure if habs will have the same philosophy and go long term with price. I’m hoping they will not reach a deal for ten years or more, that is too long IMO. But you never know with the new management.

Mr. Dude, I see your point, but the fact of the matter is that Price is a world class goalie, regardless of the team’s lack of success in recent years. With Price we have a goalie that gives us a chance to win every game, we just need to build the rest of the team. It’s smart to lock up Price for the long haul. What we need on top of him are scorers and tough D men that will make sure other teams hate to play against the Habs. Luckily, that’s easier to find than a good goalie. If we lost Price to another team, even the doubters would be bashing their heads against the wall.

That’s different, Luongo was already aging when he signed to a long term deal. If Luongo’s contract was shorter it would not have been a bad deal.
Price is only 24 and a long term contract, when finished, would have Price in his early 30s.

Quick’s contract was $5.5M because of the term, 10 years. Price probably won’t sign for that long, which brings the cap hit up to about $6-6.5M. They’ll probably be paid a very similar amount, but Price won’t have 2 or 3 garbage years on the end of his contract where he makes $2M per year. Quick will.

Why is it only a select few of Habs fans that don’t give Carey any respect. Every hockey expert and fans from other teams think he’s an elite goalie yet there are still some that come on here with no idea who they have. He’s still only 24 years old ffs. Any idea how many elite goaltenders weren’t even starters at his age? He’s our franchise, get over it or find another team because you are in the minority here.

I am not pursuing this as an argument. I just find it a fun and intriguing exercise.

Danny Kristo was drafted as the 56th player taken in 2008. And you countered my pessimism re his NHL impact by saying he would have an excellent NHL career. And yet you project that in 4 yrs time… so that is 2015-2016 season (fully 8 yrs after being drafted) he would be a 40 point player.

I cant say I consider a player drafted in 2008 with high expectations as a scorer to be ‘excellent’ if in 2015-2016 his ceiling is 40 pts.

That would never happen given our goalie situation with Carey. Brodeur wouldn’t be a back-up (at least I don’t think he would) and Carey is not going to give up his crease to anyone, nor should he.

Even though I’m not a fan of Marty, he’s way too good, even at his age, to be a back-up, take a severe pay cut, and serve as a mentor, especially to a goalie like Carey who seems to be able to handle the pressure of playing in Montreal.

Oh I know full well it’s nutty to think it! But at 40, maybe he’s not looking to be a starter. Playing outside the NY region, in a different division where travel would be an adjustment for him. He’d probably have to scale back to 40 games either way. Problem for Montreal is, they are about to give Carey a collossal contract. They’d really have to discuss the implications of saddling him with a Hall of Fame backup.

I hope Moen comes back. I think a whole season with White on his line would make a helluva combination.
As for Subban I’m guessing he’ll get a one year contract. It’ll give him a chance to show what he can do without Martins short leash on a choke collar. PK’s last few shifts last season were the best I’ve ever seen him play and hopefully a sign of what is to come.

A one year deal gives PK arbitration rights sooner, and PK can look at what happened with Gorges who took at one-year RFA deal and then got six years at 3.9 mil (which pundits said was a little more than market value)

Same here. Diaz and P.K same agent.. I think he is making a power play by negotiating for Diaz first. This is just me and in now way am I saying I know more than MB but I would have insisted on doing P.K first. But then again MB looks like he thinks Diaz is important player for the future.

Sure you could look at it that way, but if the team makes it clear to the player that he is a priority, the player should understand that since there is no risk to losing him after July 1st, the team must consider retaining the players they MIGHT lose on July 1st if they aren’t addressed first.

If Subbban or Price were going to be UFA’s, you can bet your @$$ they would have been signed already.

The signing makes sense, really. He’s a good-sized player who wins faceoffs and kills penalties for next to no money, and won’t complain if he spends 50 games in the press box. And hey, if we need to put him on waivers to make room for someone else, that’s not a big deal either.

I’d have preferred Darche, but Darche deserves to spend more time on the ice than in the press box, and since Bergevin/Therrien clearly weren’t willing to commit to that, I take that as a sign they’re committed to improving the bottom six substantially in the off-season.

You have a point … but if you consider the UFA market as shopping around for snow tires to get the best out of that luxury car then it would have been nice to have the car in the driveway sealed and delivered before you had to make the snow tires decisions.